CDNS Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
$373.59
Platform & Compounding FCF 80%
Two-stage FCF DCF
Strong · Conviction

Overvalued

Trading 70.9% above fair value

You pay $373.59
Bear $136.72
Fair $218.61
Bull $311.86
Bear $136.72 -63.4% 10% stage 1 growth, 11% discount
Fair $218.61 -41.5% 16% stage 1 growth, 11% discount
Bull $311.86 -16.5% 21% stage 1 growth, 11% discount

Key Value Driver

FCF growth rate (16% base case)

Terminal Value % of EV 43%
Implied Market Multiple 82.3x

Summary

Our base-case estimate uses a two-stage discounted cash flow model based on free cash flow. We then blend that result with the average analyst price target of $370.83 from 31 analysts, using a 30% weight on analyst consensus. That produces an estimated intrinsic value of $218.61 per share.

Warnings

Stock-based employee pay equals 41% of profits. This dilutes existing shareholders, so cash flow alone overstates what owners really earn.
Wall Street's average price target is $370.83 (from 31 analysts). Our estimate is 59% below the consensus -- consider that gap carefully.

Key Risks

  • P/E alone misleads — earnings depressed by growth investment
  • Cyclical or commodity businesses may be misclassified as platforms
  • Terminal value dominance suggests sensitivity to long-run assumptions